A circuit card assembly (CCA) is a type of printed circuit board (PCB) assembly that mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components using conductive tracks, pads and other features on a non-conductive substrate. A CCA has an electrical connector at one side edge of the card that is configured to mate with a corresponding electrical connector of a computer at a contact interface. The contact interface typically includes a socket on a motherboard of the computer. The socket is typically an elongate slot that receives the edge of the CCA in frictional engagement, such that electrical contacts at the edge of the CCA are in direct physical contact with electrical contacts in the socket. CCAs are frequently connected to a computer in a holder or rack having the shape of an open-topped (or open-sided) box whose sidewalls form tracks for the guidance of the CCAs into and out of their connected position.
CCAs are used extensively in naval and aerospace applications, particularly in military applications. For example, a shipboard launch sequencer may include dozens of CCAs, each of which is individually connected to a computer at a respective contact interface. The most common way to disconnect CCAs from the computer is through manual manipulation by a human operator. For example, some CCAs include pivoted ejectors at one end of the card opposite the edge of the card that is received in the socket. To remove the CCA from the computer requires the operator to use their fingers and/or thumbs to apply pressure to the pivoted ejectors. A problem arises in that it is difficult to quickly and efficiently remove large numbers (e.g., dozens) of CCA's without damaging the CCA's and without injuring the hands of the human operator.